If they didn't already start in mid-January, most NHL teams are likely throwing the Maple Leafs some heavy side eye right now.

Some teams are scrambling to figure out trades before the deadline while others are contemplating whether they should tank for the rest of this season and aim for a high draft pick. To such teams, Toronto's issues are envious.

Some of the Leafs' main concerns at the moment? Figuring out how to maximize their deep bench, avoiding complacency during their streak of five straight wins and mulling over what their playoff competition looks like.

Sitting at third in Atlantic Division standings, the Leafs look untouchable in 2018 outside of a four-game losing skid in early January. Since snapping the skid, the Leafs have won eight of their last nine games.

Here's a look at Toronto's view from the top with all the topics you need to know.

Active Coaching

Since Mike Babcock shuffled his lines at the end of January, the Toronto Maple Leafs are on a run, winning eight of their past nine games. They scored three or more goals eight times and allowed two or less five times during that stretch.

“What it’s done is been able to give us much more balance and I think that’s important,” said Babcock.

Zach Hyman -- Auston Matthews -- William Nylander

Patrick Marleau -- Nazem Kadri -- Mitchell Marner

James van Riemsdyk -- Tyler Bozak -- Connor Brown

Leo Komarov -- Dominic Moore -- Kasperi Kapanen

It has also given Babcock more flexibility to make in-game adjustments based on the circumstances that the game dictates. In recent wins against the Ottawa Senators and Tampa Bay Lightning with the Maple Leafs leading by a goal, Babcock replaced van Riemsdyk with Komarov in the third period, a player Babcock feels is worth leaning on when preserving a lead.

“I wouldn’t if we were behind, but we were ahead and I can put Leo all over,” said Babcock on Tuesday. “We’re ahead and there’s no one better in our zone without the puck, getting it out on the wall, getting in on the forecheck and making sure the other team doesn’t score than Leo.”

Against Ottawa, van Riemsdyk’s last shift ended at 13:32 of the third period. Against Tampa Bay, he did not see the ice after concluding his shift at 7:37 of the third.

Van Riemsdyk’s average ice time is down to 14:39 this season (only Kapanen and Matt Martin average lower ice-times among Maple Leafs wingers) from 15:53 in 2016-17, 17:45 in 2015-16 and 19:05 in 2014-15, though he is on pace for 33 goals which would be a career high.

Where van Riemsdyk is relied on heavily is on the power play, leading the team in ice-time at 2:19 and goals with eight. He did not seem thrilled to discuss the matter of being replaced late in games when asked on Tuesday. It is hard to argue though that Babcock is not trying to put players in positions to succeed.

In that same win against Tampa Bay, Babcock also deployed Bozak, in place of Moore, for a defensive zone faceoff at 9:13 of the third period alongside Komarov and Kapanen. Bozak has taken, by far, the most faceoffs this season and is trusted by Babcock on high leverage faceoffs. Once the Maple Leafs gained possession and exited the zone, Bozak jumped off and Moore finished the remainder of the shift.

As Babcock continues to round the team into playoff form, watch for these types of in-game situational moves to become commonplace.

Playoff Format

This is the fifth season under the new playoff format and some wonder if it is time to revert back to the old three division set up where playoff positions are allocated based on a 1 through 8 seeding system within each conference.

Lately, a lot of that conversation has come from Toronto where the Maple Leafs are seemingly stuck in third place with little opportunity to move up or down (there is much less complaining about the second possibility). The Maple Leafs hold a 19-point cushion on a playoff spot, in large part because of the weak Atlantic Division. Moreover, since before Christmas it has been virtually assured that Toronto would make the playoffs and face either Tampa Bay or the Boston Bruins in the first round.

If playoff spots were allocated under the old system from 2012-13, the Maple Leafs could conceivably face any number of teams at this point.

“I like the older format better to be honest. It’s a little more traditional and a little more what I’m used to,” said Nazem Kadri on Monday. “It kind of sucks for some teams where you can have more points than another team but that team could finish ahead of you in the standings. In terms of that, it doesn’t really make a whole lot of sense.”

It also means the Maple Leafs will be forced to contend with a more difficult opponent early in the playoffs. Babcock said he had a preference for one format, but wouldn’t say which. He then offered a response that made it fairly clear where his preference lies.

“We just have to get ready for what the league’s rules are, I don’t make those rules but it’s a grind all season to get the status you have and then you’d like to play the right team, how’s that?” said Babcock.

The other issue with being virtually locked into a spot is that complacency could set in. While it has allowed Babcock to experiment with some personnel – Frederik Gauthier’s trial run at fourth line center (not great results); Travis Dermott’s call up (stunningly good results) – without serious concern of a playoff spot slipping away, motivation could become an issue when it seems that there is no possibility for movement in the standings.

Zach Hyman took a different outlook on the issue, saying it has forced the team to take a self-starter attitude and just concern themselves with enhancing their own level of play instead of worrying about what other team’s are up to.

“We want to just keep getting better and feel there is a lot of growth that we can make happen,” said Hyman on Monday. “We see a lot of potential in our team where we don’t feel we’ve reached the level we can play at. You’re pushing to climb in the standings always. Every team is really good so even if they are below you in the standings, like Ottawa the other night, they’re our rivals, we want to beat those guys, so you have reason to get up for every game. You have motivation, you’re playing in the NHL, every time you go out there you want to give it your best. You don’t want to slack because when you end up playing a top team, that’s when it will bite you.”

Deadline Dilemma

Both Bozak and van Riemsdyk will be unrestricted free agents at the end of the season, but both play key roles on a contending team. To sell them off without bringing in players equal to or better than them would leave the Maple Leafs with holes in their lineup in a year where they intend to contend. But Toronto may either not want or cannot afford to pay what the two players will be seeking on the free agent market.

It presents a dilemma for general manager Lou Lamoriello leading up to the trade deadline on Feb. 26. He cannot afford to overpay Bozak and van Riemsdyk with Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Mitchell Marner’s contracts coming up shortly, all of which will cost significant dollars. But trading Bozak and van Riemsdyk to avoid losing them on the free agent market for nothing would hurt the team in the short term.

You cannot fault Bozak and van Riemsdyk for wanting to maximize their value, if that is what they so choose to do, but they both hope to be around at least to the end of the year to see through the success that the team has had after each suffering through lean years.

“I personally don’t think about it. It’s probably my sixth year of people saying I’m getting traded, but I don’t really think about it too much, I never really have,” said Bozak. “I kind of just go out there and play and whatever happens, happens. It’s out of your control. It’s fun around here this time around and we’re playing really good hockey so it’d be fun to be a part of that.”

Added van Riemsdyk: “I like the group of guys here, especially with some of us who have been here for my whole six years. It’s been fun getting to know those guys better, play with those guys and kind of grow together over the years. We’re having more success the last couple years, we’ve got a good group of players obviously and even away from the rink we all enjoy being around each other.”

Asked whether the fact that he sits second on the team in goals leaves him feeling any more secure, van Riemsdyk disagreed.

“You’ve seen different trades over the years and you realize nobody’s safe no matter what,” he said. “With that in mind, it kind of eases your mind a little bit knowing that it’s outside of your control. The longer you play, the more you really realize how far out of your control that sort of stuff is. You just keep showing up where they tell you to show up and put your best foot forward and go from there. That’s kind of the approach I take on it.”

Earlier in his career, Bozak admitted he found this time of year leading up to the deadline more stressful, but has realized now in his ninth NHL season, it’s not worth paying much attention to what he cannot control.

“Maybe the first year I went through it you kind of think about it a little bit and get a little nervous and worried about it but after it happens for a few years in a row, you kind of just get used to it,” he said. “I try to be mentally strong; I think I’m pretty good at that so I just kind of block that stuff out and just go out there and play.”